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I just updated to the newest Firefox 9.0.1 and now I get pop up ads as a new tab that takes over my web session. Firefox also crashes my whole computer and restarts it. I am running Windows XP Pro.

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Pop Ad tabs include ad, when I close it asks if I'm sure I want to leave the page. I say yes and then there is another survey ad that says I may have won something. This whole process requires at least 4 denials before I can get the page to close.

Periodically my computer will freeze and restart when I am using Firefox.

Pop Ad tabs include ad, when I close it asks if I'm sure I want to leave the page. I say yes and then there is another survey ad that says I may have won something. This whole process requires at least 4 denials before I can get the page to close. Periodically my computer will freeze and restart when I am using Firefox.

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Sounds like Malware.

Install, update, and run these programs in this order. They are listed in order of efficacy.
(Not all programs detect the same Malware, so you may need to run them all to solve your problem.)
These programs are all free for personal use, but some have limited functionality in the "free mode" - but those are features you really don't need to find and remove the problem that you have.
Note: If your Malware infection is bad enough and you are mis-directed to URL's other than what is posted, you may have to use a different PC to download these programs and use a USB stick to transfer them to the afflicted PC.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware - http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php
SuperAntispyware - http://www.superantispyware.com/
AdAware - http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
Spybot Search & Destroy - http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
Windows Defender: Home Page - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/prod.../default.mspx
Also, if you have a search engine re-direct problem, see this:
http://deletemalware.blogspot.com/2010/02/remove-google-redirect-virus.html

If these don't find it or can't clear it, post in one of these forums for specialized malware removal help:
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/index.php
http://forum.aumha.org/
http://www.spywareinfoforum.com/
http://bleepingcomputer.com